Offering her a hug, he figures he'd let the news wait for later.  There was enough on her mind now.  Holding the hug for a few moments or sooner if she breaks it first, he smiles easily.

"I'm doing alright.  Getting lessons in bushido.  Other than that I'm staying out of trouble.  How are you doing?  I got the text message obviously."

While his eyes were covered by his shades there was the obvious look of concern to his face.

Friday doesn't rush the hug.  Zeke's a good hugger, after all.   When she releases him, she sighs with distraction.

Yes, I'm sorry to bug out when there's so much going on in this town.  It's become "ground zero" for Para weirdness lately, but this is something I've got to do.

I'm hoping it'll be quick and painless, but I'm not making any asumptions.

>>>>>>>>>From The Supers Registration Office>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dragon Fist set down in an alleyway about half a block away from Above and Beyond. Retracting his armor, he walked the rest of the way to Above and Beyond. He then slowly knocked on the door, wondering if he had missed her. Inside, he hoped that he had not.

"Friday...are you still here?"

"You know I'm just a phone call away if you need any help, Friday.  And it's alright, I certainly understand.  I'm hoping that it's just something minor and your source is more paranoid than you or me."

The smile is easy, though it seems to be a little forced.  He'd spent how many years being on the run by himself.  And now that he found a place to settle down, he was saying goodbye to yet another friend.

"Please, if you need anything.  Don't hesitate to call."

I know you guys are all here for me, Zeke.  It means a lot.   Hopefully I won't be gone long.

Impulsively, she hugged Zeke again, as if she can sense the emotions he was carefully hiding.   She wasn't reading his mind, but was simply remembering some heart-to-heart talks they'd had in this very office.

You lot will never know how important you've all become to me.   I owe everything I've become to your friendship.

She broke the hug when she heard something else.  Another person approaching.  Her curious look became one of joy.

I'm here, Lucas.  Come on in.

Lucas opened the door. A nod is given to Zeek as he'd entered. It was funny....when all of this business started, it seemed that Zeek would have started out as a potential opponent. Now, he came to be someone that they could depend on. It was very good to see how he had grown through these past ordeals.

"Hey Friday...I got your message. And I didn't want you to leave until I saw you..."

"I can certainly say the same thing for you, Friday.  I know you'll be careful."

He returns the hug gladly, even going so far to give her side a little rub this time.  Pulling away easily when she does, looking to the door.  He wasn't doing anything wrong, after all.  Nodding over towards Lucas.  Hoping given the situation he won't ask about seeing him at the Mayor's Office.

Friday nods, her voice very subdued.

Yeah, I was hoping you'd feel that way.   

Her smile at him was almost shy.

Lucas smiled back at Friday.

"You've come to mean a lot to me as well, Friday. Even beyond our relationship, you've shown me that I don't have to do everything on my own. That with good friends and companions we can accomplish anything that we set our minds to. And we have certainly done a lot, haven't we?"

Lucas then reaches into his pocket and pulls out what appears to be...a ring. The ring itself is gold and has an emblem of a Dragon on one side and a Bird on another. He had been waiting for the right moment to give this to her, but it never seemed to come up until now.

"My sensei...my first sensei...the one I told you about....gave me this, when I received my first stripes for my brown belt. I would like to pass it on to you...to help you with what you're dealing...and to remind you that you have someone who loves you and cares for you immensely..."
This message was last edited by a game moderator at 13:58, Mon 18 Jan 2010.

Friday grinned at the handsome man.
Oh my god, I think you've actually gotten more corny since the day I met you.

Then she chuckled.
But I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.   

When Lucas pulled out the ring, Friday looked both awestruck and terrified.   When Lucas didn't propose to her, she looked both immensely relieved and slightly disappointed.

Her large brown eyes still filled with tears, however.

It's beautiful, Lucas.  I love it.

She flew into his arms (both figuratively and literally) and kissed him deeply.

Lucas returned the kiss passionately. He was glad that she liked the ring. The ring was a representation of some of what he had accomplished...and he wanted that same fighting spirit to be with Friday when she had to deal with what was going on with her.

"Um...there is one more question that I would like to ask...but I know that we both can't afford any distractions with what we're doing...so I'm going to save that question until all of this craziness is behind us. That ring....represents a bond between us, Friday. A bond that I hope will never break. I love you so much, Friday Winters....please be safe...and come back to me when you can. I will wait on you for as long as you need me..."

Friday held back a sob of love with extreme effort and hugged Lucas fiercely to her.

I love you so much, Lucas.   I owe so much to all of you, but perhaps to you most of all.   I don't know if I could have made it through everything without you.

Zeke remains quiet and happily fades into the back ground at this situation.  Glad atleast to see that something good for this group came out of this whole situation.

Lucas returned the hug, and it was as if his very spirit was also taking part in it as well.

"Thank you Friday...for everything that you have done for me...helping me to keep a level head...for being there when I needed you...for everything..."

He then looks at her and strokes her face gently.

>>>>> From supers Registration Office

Mirage popped into Fridays office, teleporting in without her trademark crimson smoke, and stopped short.  She'd come right in the middle of a touching scene with Dragon Fist appearing to be giving Friday a ring.  She blinked a few times, actually surprised to see this, but it was a natural progression for their relationship.  Feeling like she was intruding upon a tender moment, she quietly slipped out of the back office to wait in the front.

Without opening her eyes from within Lucas' strong embrace, Friday spoke up.

And just where do you think  YOU'RE going, M?   

Her voice, though tinged with a "ha! caught ya!" quality, is also filled with affection for the dramatic femme fatale.

Lucas turned around after Friday's little A-HA statement.

Blushing slightly but smiling at the femme fatale, he said, "I didn't mean to leave you high and dry like that Lane. I'm sorry about that...but I am also glad that you're here too..."

Friday broke her embrace from Lucas and looked at Lane.   She smiled and opened her arms.
I've got one for you, if you want it, girlie.

This was a very stressful time for Friday, so she decided that there was no way she was going to hesitate to show her affection for her friends because of her own insecurities.

Mirage turned and faced Lucas and Friday with a smile.

"It's alright, Lucas.  It looks like you two have far more important things to discuss." Mirage said with a knowing sort of smile.  "It might ruin my reputation but rarely does a man want any distractions when he gives a woman a ring."

She glided forward and embraced Friday.  It might be a little out of character for her but she hugged the other woman enthusiastically, giving physical evidence to the affection that  she had for Friday.  "But, if I am going to interrupt your tender moment then I shall do so with gusto.  Now what is this nonsense about you leaving us for a while, Friday?"

Friday had never really dealt with her feelings for Mirage.  Lucas had claimed her heart before she'd gotten the chance to think about them.  Still, the enigmatic woman meant the world to her.

Giving her as passionate a hug as she'd given the two men (well, perhaps Lucas' hug was a little more passionate), Friday looked at all of them once she'd released Mirage.

The body of Paul Randall is missing from the long-term care hospice that he'd been put in by his parents.   I bribed one of the workers to keep me informed of what was going on there, since the parents and I had parted on such.....poor terms.

She remembered the fight they'd all had when the Randalls had insisted on taking their son back to Texas to recover from (or linger in) his coma, rather then leaving him in the care of "some Yankee doctors and his teenage groupie."
Friday sighed.

My guy inside says that the parents were frantic and threatening to sue and/or "kick everyone's ass".   They might have been lying, but it seems unlikely.    I need to go there to find out what happened.

Friday smiled reassuringly at the rest of them.
There were a lot of enemies made in this office over the years, but I doubt it was any kind of Para involvement.   I shouldn't need any help, but I'll let you know if I do, trust me.

The young woman's grin spoke plainly that she knew that she could count on everyone in the room, no matter what.   And she gave Lucas a special smile as she put on the ring he gave her.

"So you are going to investigate his disappearance." Mirage said, summing up what she was going to do.  "I hope that you will not be so foolish as to try and resolve this on your own if you encounter some Para activity.  You do have team mates that you can rely on for assistance, Friday."

Lucas nodded back at Friday and smiled as she put on the ring that he gave her. He hoped for her safe return once the family business had been taken care of.

"Remember...you don't always have to do things on your own...a wise woman taught me that..."

And Lucas made it plain that he was referring to Friday.
This message was last edited by a game moderator at 22:59, Mon 18 Jan 2010.

Friday chuckled.
Don't worry, Lane.  I'm not nearly as dumb as I look, you know.   If I see something too big for me, I'll holler for the troops.

Though her slightly manic nature and bullet-proof skin made Friday a bit impulsive at times, she was usually the voice of caution in the group.  It amused her that the impetuous Mirage would lecture her on taking chances.
She listened to her stylish friend, though.  Mirage was also a LOT smarter then she let people believe.

I'm just sorry I'm running out on all of you like this.  I'm going to miss you all a lot while I'm gone, believe it or not.

"There isn't anything to apologize for, Friday.  This is rather serious and parahuman abilities aside, I don't think anyone is more qualified to find Mr. Randall more so than you."

With Brain's little expose' on them, there were things that were still kept.  She had alluded to a few things.  Just how much of Paul Randall was passed on to take care of Suzy Icepick and make her Friday Winters?  She probably knew who did this better than Paul himself.

Friday grinned at her friend.
Thanks for being so understanding.  I've been a loner for so long, that it still feels a bit weird to be part of a team.   Granted, you yahoos have made it easy to want to belong, but still, old habits die hard.